Yara Ghana celebrates 10 years with Ghanaian farmers

Yara Ghana, a leading name in the fertilizer Industry in Ghana is celebrating ten years of operations in the country.

Yara Ghana is part of Yara International ASA, a global firm specializing in agricultural products and environmental protection agents. Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, today Yara has a worldwide presence, with more than 14,000 employees and sales to more than 150 countries.

Yara Ghana Limited was established in 2007 to strengthen the quality and depth of input supply and related services, along agricultural value chains to increase the productivity of Ghanaian farmers. However, Yara products and solutions had been used in the country for decades before then.

Yara Ghana has been importing and supplying high quality products for various crop areas such as cereals, vegetables, cocoa, etc. In addition to a nationwide distribution network, Yara Ghana has been offering technical support for farmers on its Yara Crop Nutrition solutions.

According to Danquah Addo-Yobo the Managing Director of Yara Ghana, Yara has been at the forefront in revolutionizing the fertilizer industry in Ghana by introducing its Crop Nutrition Concept which focuses on crop knowledge, portfolio combinations and application competence. These three pillars are key in helping Ghanaian farmers optimize profitability in a sustainable manner instead of the blanket application of fertilizers which had hitherto been the practice.

"With over a hundred years of crop and fertilizer knowledge behind it, Yara Ghana introduced into the Ghanaian agricultural space crop specific nutrient solutions that ensured that farmers are able to optimize the use of Yara fertilizer to gain healthier and higher yields in an environmentally sustainable way" The Yara Ghana MD explained.

"We are proud of our achievements and contributions to the agricultural sector in Ghana especially so when we hear the testimonies of farmers including several National Award winners who have succeeded in their farming by using our crop nutrition solutions" he added.

As a farmer centric company, Yara Ghana will continue to build on our successes with the farmer as we celebrate our ten years milestone. Yara Ghana will also continue to support the Government in implementing its flagship programme of Planting for Food and Jobs the Managing Director stated.

Other foot prints of Yara Ghana in the country include supporting women in agriculture, collaboration with agriculture units of some universities – notably the University of Development Studies in the North, and the University of Ghana, Legon , as examples, as well as creating and supporting farmer associations.

Yara Ghana has been making the results of its yearly research work done together with key agricultural research institutes like Crop Research Institute (CRI), Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) and Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) available to other stakeholders in the agricultural value chain through its yearly publication of results of its Trials and Demonstrations.

The results from these research activities has also enabled Yara Ghana to recommend and make available the best quality fertilizer solutions targeted at specific crops as well as provide training for farmers, retailers and distributors on best practices towards enhancing the profitability of the farmer and the value chain.

Yara has contributed significantly in creating employment opportunities directly and indirectly through its network of over 300 retailers and distributors across the country.

Activities lined up for the celebrations include a staff durbar, awards, staff team building activities, media engagements and a donation of School bags and educational accessories to selected schools as part of Yara Ghana’s ongoing School Bags project.

Other activities already undertaken in the course of the year include a Stakeholder Dialogue in July to discuss Research findings from Yara Trials and Demos as well as partnering the National Food and Agricultural Show (FAGRO) held in Tamale in September.